Ringside Report Looks Closer at The Black Lives Matter Movement

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By Maya J. Carter

For centuries, the lives of Black people in the United States have been subject to reprehensible efforts by the criminal justice system to suppress their status as American citizens and to deny their humanity. State-sanctioned violence against Black people has been a part of American history largely concealed from much of the world. This injustice has been a continual underlying thread throughout the Black American experience – from slavery and the diaspora, to the Southern Strategy, to terrorist acts inflicted upon Black communities such as the Tulsa Massacre and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, to Jim Crow era legislation and lynch laws, and even to the recent Stop-and-Frisk policy which disproportionately targeted minorities. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama depicts the previously unspoken horrors Black lives have faced at the hands of those who do not value their humanity or sense of wellbeing; at times, atrocities executed by the very hands of those meant to protect all Americans.

And for centuries, Blacks have fought to demand acknowledgment of their humanity and for equality – their fundamental right to exist – from slave revolts to non-violent means of protest including sit-ins, Freedom Rides, marches through states wrongfully enacting laws specifically designed to justify segregation, championing the elimination of race-based legislation, or even through kneeling during NFL games. Some progress has been made over time to advance equality and preserve the rights of Black lives to exist and thrive within this society. Yet, an underlying current within society whereby Black communities do not receive equal protection under the law persists to this day. Statistics have proven there is a dichotomy within the American justice system, whereby the loss of Black lives at the hands of those designated to protect and serve does not result in the equal justice granted to others. And more alarmingly, a greater percentage of Black lives are ended through violent means at the hands of a discriminatory criminal justice system that devalue their lives. Justice for those lives lost is fleeting or non-existent. Sadly, we know of Black mothers having to give “the talk” to their children as a protective measure against having to be the next name on a list of victims that has grown and become all too familiar.

In the United States, most police unions include within their mission statements the goal of enhancing the quality of life for the people they serve through enforcing the law, preserving peace, protecting the people, and maintaining order. Fortunately, many police and law enforcement officials adhere to those principles and apply them equally to all citizens regardless of race or ethnicity. In some instances, however, we find those tasked to protect and serve fall short in the pursuit of these goals. Based on surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2019, with 6,637 people responding, among the results were the following conclusions:

1) Majorities of both black and white Americans say black people are treated less fairly than whites in dealing with police and by the criminal justice system as a whole.
2) Black adults are about five times as likely as whites to say they’ve been unfairly stopped by police because of their race or ethnicity.

The Washington Post collected and reported on crime statistics regarding police shootings since January 2015 through July 2020. Statistics demonstrate that in the United States, police were responsible for 31 deaths per million (1,301 total) of Black people, 23 deaths per million (907 total) of Hispanic people, 13 deaths per million (2,499 total) of White people, and 4 deaths per million (220 total) for people of non-Black, non-Hispanic, and non-White ethnicity. The data reveals that while Black Americans account for <13% of the US population, they are killed by police at a rate of more than twice that for White Americans.

We mourn each loss and say their names:

Amadou Diallo, shot 41 times by police in 1999 standing outside the vestibule of a Bronx Apartment reaching for a cellphone.

LaTanya Haggerty, shot by police in 1999 in Chicago, Illinois after being pulled over. She had a cellphone.

Sean Bell, shot by police in 2006 in Queens, New York just hours before his wedding.

Oscar Grant, shot in the back by BART police on New Year’s Day 2009 in Oakland, California, on the passenger platform at the Fruitvale BART station.

Michael Brown, shot by police in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. He was accused of stealing cigarillos.

Yvette Smith, shot by police in Bastrop County, Texas in 2014 on her front porch.

Tamir Rice, shot by police in 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio for holding a toy gun. He was 12 years old.

Laquan McDonald, shot by police in 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. He was wielding a knife, a call made to the police, and within 21 seconds of arriving on the scene, a police officer emptied his 16-round handgun into McDonald. He was 17 years old.

Eric Garner, killed by police in in 2014 in Staten Island, New York selling cigarettes. He was placed in an illegal chokehold.

Gregory Gunn, shot by police in 2015 in Montgomery, Alabama while unarmed just steps away from his home.

Freddie Gray, killed by police in 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. His neck was broken while he was being transported in a police van, while in handcuffs and leg irons.

Walter Scott, shot by police in 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina after running from the scene of a traffic stop.

Jamar Clark, shot by police in 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota while witnesses to the shooting said he was handcuffed and on the ground. The police said otherwise.

Sandra Bland, found hanging in a jail cell in 2015 in Waller County, Texas a few days after being arrested during a traffic stop.

Alton Sterling, shot by police in 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana outside a convenience store selling music and movies.

Philandro Castile, shot by police in 2016 while in his car in Falcon Heights, Minnesota in front of his girlfriend and child. His girlfriend streamed the aftermath live on Facebook.

Botham Jean, shot by an off-duty officer in 2018 in Dallas, Texas. He was in his own home, watching TV and eating ice cream.

Elijah McClain, killed by police in 2019 in Aurora, Colorado after being placed in a chokehold, restrained and given an injection of ketamine. He was walking home and dancing to music.

Breonna Taylor, shot by police in March 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky while in her home. Police were attempting to serve a “no-knock” search warrant, her boyfriend shot at police believing intruders were coming into the home, and Breanna was shot eight times. The police were looking for a man who did not live in her apartment complex and had already been detained.

George Floyd, JR., killed by police in May 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota after having a knee pressed against his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. He was handcuffed, faced down the ground. He was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill.

Grievously, there are many other names – too many – shot or killed by police while simply being Black Americans; recipients of a death sentence at the hands of those that are tasked to protect them. No trial, no jury of peers, at times having committed no crime but merely existing while being Black. Review of deadly incidents involving police and Black Americans tell similar stories – police are either exonerated of any crime, or charged, tried and acquitted; there is no justice for the victim or their family.

Which tragedy prompted the Black Lives Matter movement?

On February 26, 2012, a 17 year old African American student named Trayvon Martin was on his way to visit relatives. He carried Skittles he had just purchased at a local convenience store in his pocket, and shielded himself from the rain in a hoodie. George Zimmerman, an armed 28 year old man and coordinator for his neighborhood watch, began following Martin while he walked through the gated community of The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, FL. Martin was living with his father’s fiancée at the Retreat at the time. Zimmerman had been known to make multiple calls to the police about “suspicious activity” in the neighborhood by people he identified as Black. Zimmerman felt Martin did not belong in the community. Zimmerman, called the Sanford police, described the teen a “suspicious guy”, remarked that “this guy looks like he is up to no good or he is on drugs or something”, and stated “these assholes, they always get away.” It is believed that Martin began trying to avoid Zimmerman. Zimmerman pursued him by car, then on foot, an argument and altercation ensued, which culminated with Zimmerman fatally shooting Martin 70 yards away from where Martin was staying. A coroner’s report revealed one single “contact” gunshot, yet only an abrasion on Martin’s left hand.

Zimmerman was arrested shortly after the shooting, gun powder residue found on his hands, having admitted that he shot Martin, but contended he acted in self-defense under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. The State Attorney General initially alleged there was not enough evidence to file charges against Zimmerman based on his account of the shooting. By March 2012, the Justice Department and FBI became involved in the case. Many inconsistencies were noted in his account of the shooting, and he was eventually charged in April 2012 with second-degree murder. He received support from White Nationalists, the alt-right and Bill O’Reilly who came to his defense and disparaged the teen – the victim. Despite overwhelming evidence presented in court, Zimmerman was acquitted.

Zimmerman racially profiled Martin, then played judge, jury and executioner for a young Black man walking. Having been exonerated, essentially getting off scot-free for the killing of an innocent Black teen, people were justifiably outraged. Even President Obama weighed in: “Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago” and “you know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”

Alicia Garza, an African American activist, shared a poignant post on Facebook on July 13, 2013 regarding the unjust verdict: “stop saying we are not surprised. that’s a damn shame in itself. I continue to be surprised at how little Black lives matter. And I will continue that. stop giving up on black life. Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” A fellow activist Patrisse Cullors shared Garza’s post and added the now familiar hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. She was thinking about her younger brother, and how the same thing that happened to Trayvon Martin could have happened to him.

In essence, they proclaimed ENOUGH! Black brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, daughters and sons were being killed indiscriminately without a semblance of recourse against the wrongdoer due to an inherently discriminatory system.

And thus a movement was born. Black Lives Matter is now an international network of 40 chapters who organize to preempt and to intervene in response to violence “inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes” according to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc; with an emphasis in uprooting racism from its very foundations to protect Black lives. Launched in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tomelti, Black Lives Matters protests and gatherings have emerged around the globe, with allies to the Black community of all ethnicities, creeds, and backgrounds sharing one goal – the shared demand for justice, and to end the “rampant and deliberate violence inflicted upon” Black people by the state. The first major Black Lives Matter protest were held in Ferguson, Missouri after the death of Michael Brown, and since then have been held in 4,395 cities or towns worldwide.”

In an interview with National Geographic in 2020, Alicia Garza spoke about the hope the movement has provided. “The fact that Black Lives Matters is such a major part of our global conversation right now. And it’s forcing people across all walks of life, all sectors of our economy, and every corner of the planet really, to assess whether we are where we need to be – and what we need to do to get to where we’re trying to go.” She recognized that while change will not happen spontaneously, she is “…hopeful because this is the second time around. The first time we were fighting people even to say Black lives matter. Now everybody’s saying Black lives matter. The question now is, Well, what do you mean? I would say that’s progress. And that does give me hope.”

President Barack Obama said during an ABC Town Hall in 2016, “‘Black Lives Matter’ simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African-Americans that needs to be addressed. It’s not meant to suggest that other lives don’t matter. It’s to suggest other folks aren’t experiencing this particular vulnerability and so we shouldn’t get too caught up somehow in this notion that people who are asking for fair treatment are somehow automatically anti-police or trying to only look out for black lives as opposed to others.”

According to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc., the mission is to “eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.” The definition of the Black community is all inclusive: Black cis persons, Black queer and trans persons, disabled people, undocumented people, people with criminal records, women, Black lives across the gender spectrum, and Black people of all economic status and religious beliefs.

The movement has garnered powerful support particularly after the killing of George Floyd in 2020 – which happened shortly after the brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. Support has come from leaders of diverse political backgrounds like the late Congressman John Lewis to mayors of major U.S. metropolises to Senator Mitt Romney. Major corporations including Nike and Ben and Jerry’s, sports teams like the Boston Red Sox, and several celebrities alike have vocalized support for the movement. Chiefs of Police across the country have participated in the movement either through kneeling or marching alongside protestors. Spurred on by the movement, a number of local and state legislatures are developing, promoting and implementing systemic change within their police departments, including banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, utilizing mental health resources to intervene in conjunction with police in emergency cases pertaining to mental health crises, disbanding police units with histories of discriminatory practices, undertaking processes to expunge criminal records of people demonstrating sustained good behavior, and ending qualified immunity which shields police officers from being sued for civil rights violations. These measures go even further than those proposed by the FIRST Step Act of 2018 passed by the Senate which focuses on improving fairness in sentencing, promoting public safety and reducing recidivism to enact criminal justice reform.

After the brutal killing of George Floyd witnessed globally via social media which sparked international protests despite an ongoing pandemic, John Legend in an interview with Good Morning America gave voice to what was felt by many. “It inspired a lot of outrage, a lot of mourning, not only here in the United States but around the world. People had every right to be outraged and every right to protest, and I think the hopeful thing that comes from this moment of tragedy is that so many people came together to say we really need to change the system. Hopefully we’ll have the tenacity and the persistence to stick with demanding that our leaders make real fundamental change in the way that we relate to police, in the way we relate to our jails and prisons in this country. We’ve spent too much money and too much of our societal energy on locking people up. Hopefully we’ll move from the era into a more safe and healthier era where we really invest in the things that our communities need to heal and get better.”

In a recent interview with Billboard magazine, Dolly Parton voiced support for the movement in simple terms: “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen. And of course, Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

During the Democratic National Convention of 2020, Michelle Obama made direct reference to President Donald Trump regarding his vocal opposition to Black Lives Matter: “Here at home as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and a never-ending list of innocent people of color continue to be murdered, stating the simple fact that a Black life matters is still met with derision from the nation’s highest office.” Trump has referred to the Black Lives Matter movement as “hate speech” despite a number of state governors and local leader supporting the movement, even going so far as to create murals and renaming streets after Black Lives Matter. He later revised his statement, suggesting that Black Lives Matter is freedom of speech.

One of the tenets of Black Lives Matter is defunding the police, a controversial concept primarily due to semantics. When defining the goal, Black Lives Matter believes that continuing to fund the current criminal justice system as it is without addressing needs of the Black community, including resources for housing, health, and education will not allow for the safety of Black Americans. What Black Lives Matter calls for goes beyond police reform. Evaluating instances where police reform were instituted from 2013 through 2019, elected officials spent millions on police reform, yet the number of deaths at the hands of police remained the same, and the disproportionate number of incidents involving Black people dying at the hands of law enforcement had not decreased over the same period. Instead, they propose that some funds are divested from police departments that allow for their militarization, and instead invested in practices including education, healthcare, housing and opportunity.

Black Lives Matter has been controversial to some, but when in American history has the fight for justice ever been without those who voice their objection or resist progress towards a more inclusive nation? The movement has undoubtedly asked the citizens of this country and around the globe to reflect inwardly, and specifically in this country, to truly assess America for what it is and has been regarding the mistreatment of Black Americans. We are in a time of reckoning with our past and present. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that the “greatest stumbling block” in the “stride towards freedom” for Black Americans is not necessarily the white supremacist, but the “moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.” State-sanctioned violence inflicted upon Black lives is damnable, inexcusable, unjust, and must cease. There will be challenges to the movement as long as we have an undercurrent of racism imbedded within systems designed to protect us all. Regardless, we must mete out progress, support substantial shifts towards a more equitable society, and support movements like Black Lives Matter that galvanize systemic change to become that union that truly endorses the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have come too far to turn back now, and the preservation of and support for Black lives will reflect positively upon society as a whole.

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